[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 139 (Thursday, September 29, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4539, TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL 
                       GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. GARY A. FRANKS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 27, 1994

  Mr. FRANKS of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, last week I voted to send the 
Treasury-Postal appropriations bill back to the conference committee 
that produced this final version for approval. This bill annually has 
problems, because it is a repository for wasteful spending projects. 
This year was no different. After the House approved its version of 
this bill, the Senate decided to add $218 million worth of spending on 
new construction projects. We refused to approve the final version of 
this bill last week because of this wasteful spending added by the 
Senate.
  Today this bill is back before us--without the extra projects that 
the Senate added on. The $218 million in new Federal construction has 
been removed. I will vote for the bill, although I think that more 
improvements could have been made. Next year, we should consider 
reducing construction expenses from the amount approved this year. Even 
though the House approved the elimination of the Intergovernmental 
Relations Commission and the Administrative Conference of the United 
States, these groups are still funded in the final version of this 
bill. Finally, the bill includes $6.6 million for changing the Postal 
Service logo, despite my opposition and the opposition of the House. 
This bill is proof that Congress still includes unnecessary spending 
among programs and projects worthy of our support.
  This bill also contains a provision freezing the pay of the Members 
of the House of Representatives for this year. This is an issue of 
importance at a time when Congress is still passing budgets with 
substantial deficits.

                          ____________________